Benjamin van der Veen Benji and Mom

Ten-year-old Benji and his mother were the victims of a brutal attack in their home in Elverta, Ca. on Monday, September 27, 2021.  His mother had multiple stab wounds and blunt force traumas to her head. Benji had blunt force trauma to his head from several blows with a baseball bat. He was not expected to make it through the first night. 

As friends and family rushed to the area to provide aid and prayer, mom made it through several hours of surgery and began her miraculous recovery While her wounds were debilitating, she is expected to be released a week following the incident. 

Benji’s injuries were quite severe, and he was placed on a respirator in an induced coma to stabilize him.  He made it through the first night but worries remained about his cognitive abilities due to the severities of the injuries. His two Grandmothers and Father have been by his side in a constant vigil as he continues to prevail.  The Doctors have begun to move him off the sedation hoping to see him breathe on his own and battle the aspiration pneumonia which was an unfortunate effect of the complicated surgery.     To the amazement of all, he has begun some movement and was able to give his grandma a thumbs up less than a week after the incident.

Benji and his mom are a testament to the power of grace and healing that our Lord has gifted us.  Mom’s faith has had a resounding effect on the people in the hospital to the point that they will be sad when she leaves. She has provided so much joy and hope for them in their work.

James 5:13-16 tells us about the power of Prayer.  Our immediate families, our church families, and our friends in prayer truly understand this passage.  It is our hope that others seeing this journal will begin to understand the greatness of our God and look to him for their needs as well.